Airplane wing construction



March 14, 1944. Q M; A D 2,344,286

AIRPLANE WING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 14, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 In ventor March 14, 1944. c. M. COSAND 6 AIRPLANE WING CONSTRUQTION Filed Oct. 14, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A; Inventor A ttorney Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRPLANE WING CONSTRUCTION Carl. M. Cosand, Cottonwood, Idaho Application October 14, 1940, Serial No. 361,121 3 Claims. (01. 244-39) The present; invention relates to new and useful improvements in airplanes and has particular reference to a wing construction by means of which the airplane is more efficiently supported in flight and at the same time permitting a materially reduced area in the wings. I

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a' rotatable wing construction of concavo-convex form embodying means for drawing the exhaust gases from the engine of the machine through the wings whereby to relieve the motor of back pressure, also serving to reduce noise of the motoriand to heat the wings by the exhaust gases passing therethrough.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a pivotal mounting for the rotating wing members by means of which the wings may be adjusted to facilitate the take-off and landing of the machine.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view,

Figure 3 is a front elevational view,

Figure 4 is a sectional view through one of the wings,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of one of the wings with part of the top of the wing broken away, and

Figure 6 is a detail of one of the wing tilting cylinders.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a conventional airplane fuselage including the cockpit 6 and at the front end of the fuselage is mounted the motor 1 for driving the propeller 8.

Projecting outwardly from each side of the fuselage 5 is a bracket construction indicated generally at 9 having a gear housing l0 supported at its outer end and within which a ring gear H is positioned, the gear being secured to the wing I 2 which is of substantially saucer form with the concaved portion l3 thereof. disposed downwardly. i w

In the present form of the invention the wing is of hollow construction and isprovided in its convex or upper surface adjacent its edge portion with a circumferentially extending opem ing l4.

The gear H is driven by a pinionv l5' mounted on the outer end of a laterally projecting shaft I6 which is provided with a bearing l1 journalled in the side wall of the fuselage ijthe inner end of the shaft at each side of the fuselage being provided with a gear 18 engaged by a pinion 19 secured on the rear end of the propeller shaft 20 which is driven byI-the'engine 1.

Fixed within thewingsf'l} are Ta plurality of arcuate blades which include staggered inner and outer rows of blades 21 and 22, respectively. The upper surface of the wing, is provided with an opening 23 within which a pipe 24 is inserted, the pipe having a flange 25 at its inner end for rotatably supporting the wing on the pipe. The pipe also extends upwardly through the gear H and housing ID with the upper end of the pipe 24 having a flexible exhaust pipe 26 attached thereto and leading. from the motor 1.

Accordingly, in the operation of the device, as the wings l2 are rotated, the blades 22 and 23 will serve to create a suction in the hollow portion of the wings whereby to draw the exhaust gases from the motor I through the exhaust pipe 26 for discharge through the opening H of the wing.

The bracket 9 includes horizontally projecting arms 21 and inclined braces 28, the arms having a hub 29 at their inner ends journalled on the bearing I! at the side of the fuselage, the arms 21 and braces 28 being connected at their inner ends to an upper arcuate member 30 by spoke members 3|.

One end of the arcuate members isconnected to the outer end of a piston rod 32 which projects into one end of a cylinder 33, the rod having a piston 34 at its inner end working in the cylinder. The other end of the cylinder is pivoted as at 35 to a bracket 36 on the side of the fuselage.

Pipes 31 and 38 communicate with the respective ends of the cylinder at opposite sides of the piston 34, the pipes having flexible tubes 30 and 40 connected respectively thereto leading to a two-way valve 4| of conventional construction and having a manipulating handle 42. Connected to the valve is a supply pipe 43 leading to a compressed air tank 44, the tank and valve for each of the cylinders 35 being mounted within the fuselage 5 adjacent the cockpit; 6 for manipulation by the pilot.

Accordingly, by feeding air under pressure to l the cylinder 33, the wings may be tilted in a decock-pit of the machine for manipulation by the pilot, when desired.

The exhausting of the gases fromfthe engine 1 through the wings will serve to defrost the wings andthe adjustment of the'w'irigs bymea'n's of the air cylinders 33 will enable the take off and landing of the machine in restricted areas,

' Theou'ter e'dge'ofthe openin Itor he wing is provided with an upturned -fl-ange 14" extends wardly to overlie opening and i-brm' a hie ldto prevent air being forced into the wihgtvhen the airplane is in 'fiight'and also to utiliie the force of-air passing across the wing to create a suction behind the shield to pull the eithaust gases out of "the wing to relieve a k'vr ssuei-r; r c

' It is believed the"detailsof I construction, operation ahdadvantages of the device will be readuy understood fir-o the foregoing without further detailed ex lanation:

at I c a m 1 air lane :66 prisin an airplane body,

a hoiiowctneavu ednvexwihgsupportea at""each conduit having a discharge opening in advance of its connection with the wing, a closure for said opening normally maintained in closed position and means for rotating the wings.

,2. An airplane wing of hollow saucer-shape construction, means for rotatably supporting the wing in an inverted position upon an airplane,

"a conduit io'ta'tably supporting the wing and adapted to supply heated gases thereto, said wing having openings adjacent its peripheral edge for discharging gases therefrom and an inwardly projecting shield overlying the openings and adapted to create a suction behind the shield or ra n se i-rqm ee W y the forcepf air passing over the leading edge of he-Wi o 3. An airplane comprising an airplane 'body, a hollow disk-like wing at; each side of the airplane body, a support :ro'r'eaeh wing anamcluding a pivot member at the inner end of the support journaled in the side of, the airplane body, a vertical Tpipe cart ,at the outer eh'd of each support and rota 1y supporting the wing infa horizontal jsifioh, a'eonuuitjattached to 'the ipe and adapted fforifeeaing heated'gase's to the wing, mefans forrotating each jwin'g, and means connected to each support for tilting each wing. 

